BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 148, 25 June 1931, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

CATHOLIC HEIRARCHY VIEW. BIHOP O’SHEA INTERVIEWED. (Per Press Aesocia ion.) NEW PLYMOUTH, June 24. The denials made on Tuesday by Bishop Brodie of Christchurch, that any agreement had been entered into by the Catholic Heirarchy and the Bible-in Schools League, were the subject of a statement made in an interview to-night, by Archbishop O’Shea. The denial from the south of any agreement between the Catholic Heirarchy and the Bible-in Schools League is somewhat elated, said the archbishop. It is nearly year ago since a public statement was made by Archbishop Redwood to the effect that if the Bible-in-Schools League complied with the conditions which were first laid down by the Catholic Bishops many years ago, Catholic opposition would be withdrawn. The Bible-in-Schools executive, on the same date, announced that it was prepared to draft a bill which would meet those conditions. Consequently , the only honourable course for the Archbishop was to announce that an agreement was in sight. Until now n< public protest was made against his action. The conditions laid down by the Catholic Heirarchy 17 years ago have been published time and again, not only by the bishops who drew them up, of whom I was one, but as late as 1929, when in Parlaiment Mr Carrington, with the full approval of Bishop Cleary and myself, again repeated them. No protest whatever was then made by any one from our side against his statement that we would withdraw our opposition to a Bible-in-Schools measure which would meet these conditions. LEAGUE’S POSITION STATEMENT OF NEGOTIATIONS [ Per Press Association. | WELLINGTON, June 24. The sub-committee of the New Zealand Bible-in-Schools executive considered in Wellington to-day Bishop Brodie’s disclaimer of any agreement between the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and the League, and approved the statement issued by the secretary last night thro gh the Press Association quoting the official accep -ces of the League’s proposals by the Hierarchy Committee. The League Committee states that only one letter previously had »me to. the secretary from Bishop Brodie, dated June, 1930, and it acknowledged the receipt of a copy of the cirm lar letter ami paper. Its closing message was: “As 1 understand his Grace, Archbishop O’Shea, will reply on behalf of the hierarchy, it will not be necessary to comment on the circular of which you se t me a cony.” The League Committee states: “A continuous correspondence was carried on last year, however, with the Archbishop. He had been the recipient of all of the official correspondence, and from him all official communications from the Hierarachy have been received by the League. If, therefore, any withdrawal from the position taken up last year by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy had been decided n, it would have been notified to the official secretary of the League by the official representative of the Hierarchy, but as no word of any such position has ever b en mentioned by Archbishop O’Shea, although a letter was received from him by the same mail as that which brought the letter from Bishop Brodie, no official notice can at present be taken by the executive. “With relation to Bishop Brodie’s interpretation it will be necessary to await an oflicial communication from Archbishop O’Shea. From the standpoint of the League, Hie present, position is quite definite. There has been no suggestion of any withdrawal by the League, nor any hint of the kind from Archbishop O’Shea, ami consequently the League’s oflicial letter of April 14, 193), conveying definite proposals of the Hierarchy’s acceptance of the proposals on May 12, 193(1, and the League’s acknowledgment of acceptance in the b er of May 21, 1930, remain unaltered. “A general statem- nt of the position was issued to the Press on July 24 for the Roman Catholic Bishops by his Grace, Archbishop Redwood, and for the League by the Dominion executive. These were, quite independent statements and harmonised in th essential points. I’hcse statements stand as the official reports of the agreement. 1 •'